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Friday, October 14, 2016

CARBO FAN FICTION-Déjà Vu CHAPTER 20

Chapter
20

Alamain
stared out of the window, lost in thought, not seeing the beauty of the blue
sky before him. For a long time after
his shattering discovery, he allowed his anger and bitterness consume him,
filled with hatred for the woman who he was now on his way to find and
confront. A woman he'd loved so much and thought loved him... something she'd
often assured him. And he'd believed it... at least until the fateful night she
disappeared. He'd nursed so much anger and bitterness, more so after her supposed
death; for a long time wondering just why she did what she did in the first
place.

Stumbling
on her in Russia had given him a terrible shock, followed by anger and the
immediate need to have it out with her. But where to start? He had no idea how to
find her... or what name she now went by, if she even changed it at all.

An
old friend of his from college, who ran a large and very successful security and private
investigating company, was given the task after Alamain confided in him. But he came up empty... no trace of Carly
Manning, Katerina Alamain or even Katerina Von Leuschner. Which means she must
have changed her name.

Then
it finally hit him... Salem. And why
not? She once went there to hide from her past... why wouldn't she go back
there again? It was once in a million chance and he might end up wrong but why
shouldn't he see if his hunch was right?

Hence,
his trip over the Atlantic towards America.

To
Salem.

To the woman who betrayed him.

And
he vowed to make her pay.

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Clarice
rubbed her aching head. Lately, she’d been having trouble sleeping; general
restlessness and the same nightmare of the dark menace hitting her. And for
some reason, she had also been experiencing a strange and rather disturbing
feeling she was yet to understand... or confide in Bo about. He was even
happier these days, ever since she moved in with him, hence her reluctance to
burden him about it.

‘Knock,
Knock...’ Clarice raised her eyes as Bo entered her office. ‘Ready to go to
lunch?’

‘Oh...’
Clarice glanced at her watch, surprised at how fast the hours had passed. ‘Sure.’
Getting up, she reached for her jacket.

Bo
took her arm as soon as they were out of the building. At her insistence, they
didn’t display any show of affection while at work, Clarice still heedful of
Hope’s feelings about their relationship. Hope was polite but cool towards her
but at least it was far better than hostility and Clarice didn’t want to do
anything to antagonise her.

On
his part, while Bo understood and respected his girlfriend’s decision, he still
felt Clarice was feeling guilt she had no reason to feel towards Hope. And she
worried him. Aside from the nightmare she’s been having more often, her
moodiness hadn’t escaped his notice. Whether it was the nightmare she’s been
having more often these days, he had no idea but he wished she would talk to
him about it instead of keeping it to herself.

‘Princess,
what’s going on with you?’ he asked finally, over their lunch at the Brady Pub,
after watching her pick at her food.

Clarice
looked up, green eyes startled. ‘What do you mean?’

Bo
sighed, exasperated. ‘Don’t do that, pretend you don’t know what I’m talking
about and then shutting me out. You haven’t been yourself lately and you won’t talk
to me about it. What’s the point of us being together if you won’t let me in?’

Clarice
winced, ashamed of herself. She reached out across the table for his hand, his
fingers immediately enfolding hers. ‘I’m sorry. Believe me; it’s not like that
at all.’

Bo squeezed her hand. ‘I want you to feel you
can talk to me about anything. So what’s going on? Is it about the nightmare
again?’

She
nodded. ‘That... and something else. And the reason why I haven’t talked about
it with you is because I’m not sure how to describe it and I didn’t want to
burden you with it.’

Bo
shook his head, his expression incredulous. ‘Burden me?’

Clarice
lowered her eyes, feeling even more ashamed.

‘Now,
tell me... what is it?’ His piercing brown eyes probed her face. Before she
could speak he added, ‘Is it probably second thoughts about moving in with me?’

‘In
the all the years I’ve been in law enforcement and then later Intelligence...
I’ve always been focused on the job. What I did and who I am; protecting
victims and serving my country. Then... all of a sudden...’ she stared down at
her hand, ‘I feel...’ her voice trembled, ‘I feel it’s not what I was meant for
or do... carrying a gun... killing people. All of a sudden, I feel it’s been
another person doing that all this time...’

‘Princess,
you’ve never killed anyone who never tried to kill you first. It was either
them or you.’ Bo reminded her forcibly. ‘You’re a trained agent and a patriot
and you’ve been one far too long to suddenly beat yourself up like this.’

‘Why do I feel like this all of a sudden
then?’ Clarice whispered. ‘This and the
nightmares I keep having, it’s almost like I’m living in a stranger’s body,
living someone else’s life. Suddenly, I don’t know what’s wrong with me, Bo. I
just don’t know...’

‘Hey,
Hey...’ Pulling her to her feet, Bo held her tightly in his arms, consoling
her. She clung to him, trembling.
Worried, Bo made a mental note to consult Marlena again, wishing for the
umpteenth time she was home to really help Clarice. Maybe what she was now
experiencing was a sign she will actually start remembering things at last.

‘You
know what...’ he pulled back to look down at her, running a finger under her
damp eyes. ‘I think all this came about from stress.’

Clarice’s
eyebrows rose in askance.

‘Think
about it, you’ve been running yourself ragged ever since you’ve been on loan
and then there was that mission to Russia. You’re pretty much burned out.’ It was
most certainly not the case but it was the only thing he can say to calm her
and to his relief, her eyes looked a little less haunted as she pondered on his
explanation.

‘You’re
probably right...yeah, that’s probably the reason.’ She sat back down and Bo
moved his chair closer to hers, watching her anxiously. ‘But that nightmare...
I don’t know why I keep having it. And it’s always the same one. I can only
hear a voice never the face.’ She shook her head, her expression troubled
again. Bo rubbed her arm.

Bo
smiled back, raising her hand to his lips, holding it between his. ‘Tell you
what... why don’t we go away somewhere? You certainly need and deserve some time off anyway. I’m pretty sure you’ll feel much
better after spending at least ten days on a beach.’

Clarice
smiled again, this time a tad brighter than before. ‘That definitely sounds
like a good idea. Will you really be able to come with me though?’

‘Not
only do I have some unused vacation time, I wouldn’t dream of letting you go alone.’ Bo smiled back, very pleased to see
how much she’d cheered up. But he still needed to talk to Marlena.

Spurred
by Bo’s welcome suggestion, Clarice sat straighter in her chair. ‘So what do
you have in mind for us?’

‘I’ll
let you know at home tonight.’ As he spoke, Caroline came up to them. ‘Hi Mum.’

Caroline
patted her son’s shoulder and kissed Clarice on the cheek. ‘I hardly see you
two these days.’

‘Work
hazard Mum, sorry about that.’

‘I
can easily imagine, seeing how Clarice looks right now. She’s got circles under
her eyes... just how many hours do you keep this girl working every day?’

‘Mum...’
Bo protested, while Clarice chuckled quietly.

‘I
don’t work harder than anyone else down at the station. And trust me; Bo’s a thoughtful boss, even if he can be a bit
of a pain sometimes.’

‘Thanks
a lot.’ Bo made a face at her. Caroline still didn’t look amused, her eyes on
Clarice.

‘I’m
fine. I’ve just been going through
some stuff but I’m better now, I promise. Bo and I just talked it out and
everything’s okay now.’

‘Well,
I’ll be more convinced after you get more colour on those cheeks and do
something about those lines under your eyes. Now eatup.’ With a smile,
she left them. Clarice was somewhat more cheerful as they enjoyed the rest of their
lunch break; on the walk back to the station, she was eager to know where they’ll
be going for their vacation. They were halfway back to the station when Alamain’s
cab pulled up in front of The Java.
Paying the driver, he got out; scanning his surroundings through his sun
glasses. The sameand yet not the same, he thought with no
interest. He had no liking for the town now or several years ago. All he wanted
to find that bitch and drag her back with him by the scruff of her neck if he
had to. She had a lot to answer for.

Inside
he ordered a latte, wondering how to broach the subject without arousing
suspicion. Salem was not exactly a small town but he knew from experience word
spread fast.

‘You’re
not from around here.’ The waitress, who looked to be in her thirties, set his
order before him, her face mildly inquisitive.

‘It
is that obvious?’ Alamain asked dryly.

‘It’s
your accent, European right?’

‘You’re
very perceptive. Yes.’ He nodded. ‘I am actually here on business... and to
catch up on an old friend.’ He paused, the first name coming to mind, ‘Shawn
Douglas Brady.’

‘Oh
dear... you won’t find Shawn D here I’m afraid. He moved to Chicago with his
family ages ago.’

The Bradys left Salem? Damn it!
‘Oh, that’s a shame; I was really looking forward to surprise him.’

‘You
can go over to The Brady Pub and ask his grandmother for his address if you
like.’

Rewind.
‘But you said Shawn Douglas moved away with his family...’

‘No, No... I mean
his wife and little girl. The rest of the family still live here. His grandmother,
his parents...’

Parents? As in Plural? Did she actually
dare come back to marry him? He
sipped his latte, forcing himself to act affable. ‘That’s excellent. I imagine
Bo and Carly are still very much in love.’

The
waitress frowned. ‘Carly? You mean
Hope, right?’

Hope?
‘Uh of course, it’s been a very long time, I got confused. Forgive me.’

The
waitress shrugged. ‘No big deal. They got divorced months ago anyway. You would
think a couple like those two would stay married forever but it was just one of
those things. Bo even has a new girlfriend now. I can’t imagine how Hope’s able
to cope working at the same place with her.’

He’d
come all the way here for nothing. When
he thought of Salem, he’d immediately assumed that Carly had immediately found
refuge with the Bradys again, Bo eagerly taking her back into his arms. What a
fool he was. Yet he was so sure he would find her here. He sighed angrily as
the chatty waitress moved away to attend to another customer.

A
wasted journey all together. He might as well just book a suite at the best
hotel in this hick town and go home in the morning. He glanced round and then a
framed newspaper clip on a wall nearby caught his eye. He put down his cup
abruptly and strode over to get a better look.

Before
leaving the station for the day, Bo sent an email to Marlena about the latest
development in Clarice’s condition, urging her to get back to him immediately. Now
that Clarice was living with him, he could no longer communicate via Video
Calls, for fear of her walking in on the conversation.

Roman
had something he wanted Clarice’s input on, so she told Bo not to wait for her;
requesting that he picked up a movie from the video rental store on the way
home. Passing The Java, Bo pulled
over to pick up some pastries.

‘Did
Shawn D’s buddy stop by the station?’ the waitress asked as he pulled out his
wallet.

‘Shawn
D’s buddy?’

‘Uh
huh... he just arrived in town on business and said he wanted to catch up with
him. Of course I told him Shawn D’s in Chicago. But he said a weird thing
though... he thought you were married to some woman called Carly.’

Bo’s
eyes narrowed. ‘What did this guy look like?’

The
woman smiled, the image of the handsome stranger vividly coming to mind. ‘Absolutely
gorgeous and the with the most fantastic European accent. Before he left, he
kept staring at the clipping we put up there.’ She pointed to it and Bo’s blood
ran cold.

As
soon as he got outside, he pulled out his cell. ‘Ro, where’s Clarice?’

‘She
just went home, why?’

‘Damn it!’

‘Bo...
what’s wrong?’

‘Larry’s
in town, why else would he be here unless he somehow tracked her down! I have
to get to her!’

:::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::::

Clarice
opened the door at the sound of the bell. ‘Hello, can I help you?’ She asked.

Alamain
stared at her incredulously, unable to believe her audacity. If it hadn’t been
for the newspaper clipping, showing a photograph of her standing between Bo
Brady and the town’s Mayor, he would have been none the wiser. And here she
was, putting up an elaborate charade. ‘How dare you?’ he hissed, shoving her
hard, forcing her backwards.

‘Who
the hell are you?’ Clarice snapped, shocked. ‘And what do you want?’

Alamain
fought to control his temper, a very difficult task because he was seriously angry.
‘After all these years, years of lies... that’s all you can come up with, you
heartless bitch!’ Unable to control himself, he slapped her across the face,
causing her to stumble. But he then found himself raising his hands after she pulled
out an automatic from under a jacket lying on the couch.